Japan deploys troops to counter surge in bear attacks
Japan has sent troops into the country’s rugged north to trap the bears after local officials said besieged communities were struggling to cope with an unprecedented wave of attacks.
The operation began in Kazuno, a small town nestled among forested mountains that has seen a sharp increase in bear sightings.
For weeks, residents have been urged to stay out of thick forests and avoid bears foraging near homes after dark.
“Although temporary, the SDF’s assistance was a great relief,” said Yasuhiro Kitakata, who oversees the town’s bear department.
“I used to think bears would always run away when they heard a sound, but now they’re actually coming towards you. They’re really scary animals,” he added.
There have been more than 100 bear attacks in Japan since April, killing 12 people, according to the environment ministry.
Two-thirds of those deaths occurred in Akita prefecture, where Kazuno is located, and near Iwate.
Bear sightings in Akita have increased sixfold this year to more than 8,000 and attacks are about to set a new record, officials said, prompting the governor to ask for help from the Self-Defense Forces last week.
“The townspeople feel the danger every day,” Kazuno mayor Shinji Sasamoto said after meeting with about 15 soldiers who arrived in the city in a military truck and jeeps equipped with bulletproof vests and a large map. he said.
“This has affected how people live their lives, forcing them to stop going out or cancel events,” Sasamoto said. he said.
Troops were there to transport, set and inspect steel-rod traps used to capture bears, which were then shot by trained hunters hired to cull the population.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Tuesday that the bear mission was aimed at securing people’s daily lives, but the soldiers’ primary mission was national defense and they could not provide unlimited support to the bear response.
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces are already understaffed.
The official said that so far the ministry has not received any requests from other provinces for military assistance regarding the bear problem.
On a mountain road outside town, local forestry officials showed soldiers how to assemble the traps and load them onto trucks.
The white-helmeted troops carried bear spray and were protected by others with shields and long wooden poles that resembled rifles often used in bayonet drills.
After the town of Kazuno, with a population of approximately 30 thousand people, known for its hot springs, view and sweet apple varieties, the soldiers will go to the cities of Odate and Kitaakita within the scope of an agreement that will last until the end of November.
In recent weeks, bears have attacked customers inside a supermarket, jumped on a tourist waiting at a bus stop near the UNESCO World Heritage site and injured a worker at a spa resort.
Some schools were temporarily closed after bears were seen wandering around.
Bear attacks usually peak in October and November as the animals forage intensively before hibernation.
Japanese black bears, common throughout most of the country, can weigh up to 130 kg.
Brown bears on the northern island of Hokkaido can weigh up to 400 kg.
This is not the first time Japan has deployed troops to assist with wildlife control.
The military was monitoring wild deer hunting from the air about a decade ago and was culling sea lions to protect fisheries in the 1960s.
Japanese authorities will unveil a package of emergency measures this month to deal with the bear problem, including hiring more licensed hunters, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato told a news conference.
In September, the government relaxed gun rules to make it easier for hunters to shoot bears in urban areas.
with AP
